Please see the "Some Details" segment (below) for more information.
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Project Initiator: Moji Agha (See brief introduction/bio linked below)
This particular interfaith peace initiative's hope is to nurture the seeds of genuine understanding through live online bi-national conversations INITIALLY between Muslims and Christians of good will in the U.S. and inside Iran. Thus, brother Moji--see bio below--is looking for informed groups and individuals to collaborate in this kind of NEEDED interfaith peace-building.
MISSION STATEMENT
METHOD / Initial Action Steps:
2- Thus, introducing to the interested people/congregations in the U.S. influential figures such as Seyed Hasan Aghamiri, a significant reform-minded Iranian theologian (and "defrocked" Shi'a Muslim preacher) whose live talks and teachings can embody the essence of how to un-demonize the Islamic world, especially in the West.
MOJI AGHA: A Summary Introduction:(updated Aug. 2022)
A resident of Boulder, Colorado, Moji Agha (Mojtaba Aghamohammadi) is a 64-year-old Iranian-American Muslim Sufi "monk" (or dervish--with a vow of poverty and service), bilingual poet/writer/scholar, and an "intersectional" peace, justice and Grandmother Earth activist -- Many of his initiatives have had the honor of being endorsed by luminaries like Professors Noam Chomsky and Cornel West.
SYNOPSIS OF THE PROJECT (Provided by brother Moji)
c) And here is one of his "live" online sessions in Persian (with over 200,000 views on various online social media platforms since mid-April of 2022 -- mostly inside Iran) in which he emphasizes, for example, that "real Islam does NOT forbid" women to sing or force "hijab" on them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
a) With the goal of struggling against Islamophobia (and for a hopefully less destructive U.S. foreign policy, especially in the Middle East region--all the way to India), my hope is to organize online conversations with Mr. Aghamiri inside Iran, in which I would provide contextualized translation of what he says.
Thank you again for all you do for peace and justice; And I look forward to hearing from potential partners to this critically needed peace-building effort.
UNDEMONIZATION:
An Interfaith (inside Iran) Collaboration in the People-to-People Struggle for Peace, and Against Islamophobia
May 14, 2020
Project Initiator: Moji Agha (See brief introduction/bio linked below)
Contact: moji.agha@gmail.com
Project Summary
The Iranian-American sufi Muslim initiator of this challenging peace-building project (see below) has been engaged in nonviolent peace and justice struggles for over four decades, against various forms of injustice and violence, including "purposefully engineered" Islamophobia.
This particular interfaith peace initiative's hope is to nurture the seeds of genuine understanding through live online bi-national conversations INITIALLY between Muslims and Christians of good will in the U.S. and inside Iran. Thus, brother Moji--see bio below--is looking for informed groups and individuals to collaborate in this kind of NEEDED interfaith peace-building.
MISSION STATEMENT
This volunteer project's focus is to increase contact, dialogue, and understanding between sympathetic peace-seeking Iranian and American peoples and organizations--Christians and Muslims initially.
METHOD / Initial Action Steps:
1- To connect members of American peace-seeking church communities with Muslim peace-seekers inside Iran (via live direct dialogue/Q&A online sessions--on Zoom, for example), for the purpose of building people-to-people interfaith dialogue and understanding.
2- Thus, introducing to the interested people/congregations in the U.S. influential figures such as Seyed Hasan Aghamiri, a significant reform-minded Iranian theologian (and "defrocked" Shi'a Muslim preacher) whose live talks and teachings can embody the essence of how to un-demonize the Islamic world, especially in the West.
MOJI AGHA: A Summary Introduction:(updated Aug. 2022)
A resident of Boulder, Colorado, Moji Agha (Mojtaba Aghamohammadi) is a 64-year-old Iranian-American Muslim Sufi "monk" (or dervish--with a vow of poverty and service), bilingual poet/writer/scholar, and an "intersectional" peace, justice and Grandmother Earth activist -- Many of his initiatives have had the honor of being endorsed by luminaries like Professors Noam Chomsky and Cornel West.
Brother Moji was an active participant in the Standing Rock (2016) and Occupy Wall Street (2011) uprisings/movements. Besides the "Abraham's Peace Tent" initiative (2015), in 2007 he founded a project called the International Institute to Study Climate Change in the Islamic World, where 1/4th of Grandmother Earth's human population and 1/3rd of her REMAINING species live--in deep distress or in peril.
* Please see this link for brother Moji's [in need of updating] mini-bio:
https://www.laprogressive.com/
https://www.laprogressive.com/
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Some Details
For a summary introduction to this project, and some context, including a brief mention of the hoped-for role for Seyed Hasan Aghamiri, please first see the Home Page segment (above)
SYNOPSIS OF THE PROJECT (Provided by brother Moji)
Greetings/Salaams in peace and justice--And thanks for your interest in this interfaith peace effort--hopefully leading to a constructive collaboration among interested bridge-building partners.
I- About Seyed Hasan Aghamiri:
a) Unlike in Persian, it is very hard to find reliable English language information about Mr. Hasan Aghamiri, the reform-minded Iranian Shi'a Muslim theologian; who has now become (after being "defrocked" as a preacher) a far more influential religious/spiritual leader--especially to the youth inside Iran.
b) This RARE self-explanatory article has a brief interview with Mr. Aghamiri:
c) And here is one of his "live" online sessions in Persian (with over 200,000 views on various online social media platforms since mid-April of 2022 -- mostly inside Iran) in which he emphasizes, for example, that "real Islam does NOT forbid" women to sing or force "hijab" on them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
II- The peace-building (volunteer) collaboration that I hope for in this project:
a) With the goal of struggling against Islamophobia (and for a hopefully less destructive U.S. foreign policy, especially in the Middle East region--all the way to India), my hope is to organize online conversations with Mr. Aghamiri inside Iran, in which I would provide contextualized translation of what he says.
Hence, I hope to work with sympathetic peace-oriented North American churches/denominations, whereby we would collaboratively organize and hold such live gatherings, for example on Zoom or..; so that folks (especially in congregations/churches in the U.S.) would be exposed to the vibrant nonviolent religious reform that is happening--despite during these very dark COVID-19 days--inside the "Islamic" Republic of Iran.
And obviously, as a major component of such bilingual online live bi-national people-to-people "town-hall" UNDEMONIZATION gatherings, folks who live in the U.S. (in particular) can ask him or me (Moji Agha) the questions they may have about Islam, Iran, peace, etc.
b) Given that he is also a devotee of nonviolence (from an Islamic perspective) I am sure that when Mr. Aghamiri learns more deeply about the long-standing peace orientation of certain American Christian denominations/churches, he would be encouraged to participate in these live online meetings for genuine people-to-people peace-building dialogue. Unlike myself, he has had formal "seminary" education and training in interfaith discourse and dialogue--and not just in Abrahamic faith traditions.
c) In case he does not wish to participate in these kinds of U.S.-Iran live gatherings (given obvious inside-Iran "security" concerns he may have), I can translate useful segments from his MANY online clips (such as the one given above on the rights of women in real Islam) and provide needed cross-cultural context (given my own background) for example, per my below-linked "un-sermon."
III- As to more info re my own (Moji Agha) background--especially about interfaith dialogue:
1- Here is the clip of my talk, which has a slightly longer introduction of my background and activism before I begin talking:
Video clip of an interfaith-dialogue Easter Sunday (2015) Sufi "Un-Sermon" by Moji Agha at a Unitarian Universalist church in Glendale Arizona, entitled There is NO "Other."
Video clip of an interfaith-dialogue Easter Sunday (2015) Sufi "Un-Sermon" by Moji Agha at a Unitarian Universalist church in Glendale Arizona, entitled There is NO "Other."
2- Regarding my participation in the Standing Rock struggle, these self-explanatory clips may prove useful:
a) Huffington Post--published Tues. Dec. 6, 2016: http://www.
b) Interfaith Prayer Ceremony at the Sacred/Central Fire of the Standing Rock's Oceti Sakowin Camp, Sun. Dec. 4, 2016 (https://www.youtube.com/
c) Moji Agha at Standing Rock: https://www.youtube.com/
3- And relatedly, here is a sample of my writing in English:
Moji Agha (2004) -- The "Last Supper" Essay: Reaching peace in art: Basic thoughts about diversity in our horrifying times: http://www.payvand.com/
I hope that the above outline (and the Home Page) has been an adequate summary picture of this bridge-building project.
Thank you again for all you do for peace and justice; And I look forward to hearing from potential partners to this critically needed peace-building effort.
Peace,
https://www.laprogressive.com/
